Im not a fan of religion. Not even close. I simply have stated that I found Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christs message is a missionary message. It is to spread the good word and pray others see the light.
Im sorry you guys think im "brainwashed". I am by no means going to shave my head and run to an airport and start handing out flowers. But I am going to pray and care and share my new found faith.
Im sorry that this "offends" so many people. But the message isnt "Enjoy what you have but make sure no one else finds it". It is to make Jesus known. .

I had the same attitudes as many of you. When I got my 1st job in a small baptist town, I was recruited heavily by the baptists. This turned me off. I went to a presbyterian church with my wife. Boring. I didnt listen, made fun of the hyminals. I preferred skipping church to watch my Sunday morning IFL game. That was much more fun.

But recently things changed. I dont use the word religion. I am a Christian. Not a catholic or a baptist or a lutheran. Or any of the others. I am a Christian.

Im sorry that my statements are not intelligent enough for some of you. I am still in the infancy of my new found faith. I am reading and learning.

I do know this though. Im happy. Im more positive. My relationship with my wife is so much better. And I am at peace with myself and my life as it is.

I hope and pray all of you find what is best for you. But I hope and pray it includes Jesus Christ.

Glad to hear that it's working out for you tarcone. That's the important thing.

To me that last post from you sounds way way more respectable that your prior ones where you looked more like an illuminated, that is what i was talking about, knowing your feelings and reasons instead of repeating other's words.

Again i'm sorry for offending you and i'm happy for you to have found something that makes you happy right now in this life, as it's the only life we know for sure that we are going to have, so we better enjoy it as much as we can as long as we don't harm others while doing it.

Well stated, Tarc.

I'm curious to see who will pull out their microscope and find something in there to be offended by.

Dunno if this is the right place to post this or not.

(I'm guessing not).

http://www.p4cm.com/p4cm/store/launch

I didn't know Bob Jones U had sports programs.

Thanks for answering my questions Tarcone.

I wish you the best in your quest for peace. The main thing is that you are happy.

If you ever want to come back, the door will be open. :)

such is the question posed in The Matrix. that is the entire point of the movie. would you rather be an important person in an illusion, or be stuck on a spaceship eating tasteless oatmeal in reality? Cypher (Joey Pants' character) chose the illusion.

I think it's better to believe in. I know as a non-believer that I'd love to believe there was a happy place everyone goes to when they die. It would make life much easier and I would deal with people passing away much better.

this is what made me realize religion was all a farce:

the Bible comes from people who lived in a time where it was believed the world was flat, the sun revolved around the earth, and that the heart was the center of thinking and consciousness. we've since learned all that is not true.

but now you want me to believe that the biggest question - where do we come from/were we created by a supreme being - was the one they got right all along.

ok.

by that token someone who believes in the Bible would also believe a book about how to manage your career in a down market by Pee-po - a villager from a remote, cut-off-from-the-world Amazon jungle. granted, Pee-po wouldn't know how the little people got inside a tv if you showed him one, but nevermind - he speaks the truth when it comes to career management he's right. you just have to believe.

See, I tend to disagree. The heaven part, sure, it'd be nice if we went off to some wonderful place and could see all our loved ones when we died. But it's the idea of god/s that I wouldn't be happy with at all, given what goes on on this planet that they were supposed to have created.

I have issues with death. I hate the idea that when you die, that's it, just nothingness. I'd give anything to get rid of that reality, even if it means having to live with a God who has a twisted way of doing things.

I used to be the same way, from about ages 15 through my early 20's. I had a real phobia about it, and sometimes I'd have nightmares about it too. Then it just stopped. Now, for whatever reason, I'm comfortable with the idea. Of course, would still prefer life to nothingness. ;)

I can't understand this. It's sort of like how nobody is ever surprised there really isn't a Santa Claus. The doubt just grows on you until you don't believe...except for you this was in reverse.

Good for you and I'm glad that you're happy.

Wow, I wish some of my ex's were that gracious.

Well said.

revrew is still my favorite FOFcer. No offense to others that I care about.

3rd and only comment for me. Commence fuster cluck of "discussion" :)

Q: What is christianity?

A: It is the belief that a two-thousand-year-old jewish zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat an apple off a magical tree in a wonderland.

It it only me who's first thought was that they were willing to pleasure ex-partners even after the breakup? .... ok so I've got a warped sense of humour.

Don't stress over it - even where people might act offended, it normally won't be you they're upset with - more the elitest message which christianity gives across.

Anything which states "X is great, if you don't like me you suck" is going to upset people who aren't fans of 'X'. This happens in similar threads but to a lesser extent over such oddities as computer games, sports teams and suchlike.

I realise you probably don't see it that way -but its the message recieved by others which causes their reaction not what you think you're broadcasting.

Thats cool - I for one am glad you've found something which makes you happy and positive about life ... that has to be a good thing imho.

I'd recommend Josh McDowell's - "The New Evidence that demands a verdict" if you haven't read it, its a 'safe' book for Christians (ie. its pro-christian, so don't worry about me suckering you into anything which might shake your new found faith).

I don't agree with all of his arguements its got some interesting facts and will at the very least make you think (it covers loads of the 'awkward' questions such as how the bible was drawn up and why etc.).

Thanks!

And a quick note about noop's definition of Christianity: clever. Inaccurate, probably blasphemous...but clever. I smiled.

I'll give you another definition: An invitation to join a love affair greater than any found on earth.

Y'know, people outside of a crazy love affair often joke, "Look at him! He spends all his money on her now and doesn't have time for his buddies." Or, "O my gosh, sane people really talk with all that lovey-dovey crap? Sweetie? You said 'sweetie'? You're a 250-pound grown man with a beard. And you said 'sweetie?'" Or, "Love is a fool's game," or "Love is blind." It is easy to mock, ripe for justified criticism, easy to make fun of. But 9 out of 10 people, I speculate wildly, would rather be crazy in love than alone. Christianity is crazy. The things "Christians" do and say are easy to make fun of, faltering "fool's" attempts at explaining something too big and amazing to put in words - tarcone's testimony included. But both tarcone and I are simply saying - such a love really exists, and you're invited.

Love? Bah...HUMBUG! I reject "love". It's a fools game.

Just because its crazy doesn't make it true

This deserves recognition - nice spot! :D

Those shirts are some of the stupidest things I've ever seen in my life. My god...

Not only do I get this cool shirt--I'm more likely to get prostate cancer!

I want one without the "Ex"

Replace "Ex" with "Chronic".

Seek and Ye Shall Find

oh the interwebs. they are fabulous. thank you al gore!

Well said, part deux

My parents first started taking me to church when I was just getting into football. Hmmm, football or church on Sunday, which is going to win out?

Then my studies in anthropology killed whatever inclination I may have had toward religion. Seeing numerous religions from around the world and then comparing them to mainstream American religious beliefs, two basic tenets consistently appear. A need for explanation of the world around us and a desire for life after death.

Maybe the need for these understandings was implanted by a higher power or maybe our brains as a species just evolved to the point where we want answers to everything.

Whether you get through the day through a belief in God or through other means, getting through is the point.

All of life is an illusion to some extent or another - by that I mean we are restricted in our knowledge of the world by our senses and so only see things innacurately.

(for instance we know many animals who can hear and see things differently than we do - often more accurately, but that doesn't prevent us from relying on our knowingly limited senses)

As such it could be that we're already living a lie to some extent and just don't know it, the important thing is how it feels to us now in the scope of the senses and beliefs that we have imho.

So in summary - if someone is happy in their beliefs and they don't affect others adversely then thats cool .... however imho its impossible to force yourself to truly believe in something*, you either or don't.

*For instance my wife goes to a church here which I can't get along with - I've tried to gel with it, but its far too fundamental in its message for me to be able to accept - luckily my wife appreciates that I've tried and been honest with her about my stance (not that it stops her occassionally trying to persuade me to tag along ;) ).